1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an antenna and a front end module able to transmit and receive a signal within a millimeter wave band.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, domestic and international research into next-generation Wi-Fi networks (80.11b/a/g/n) in a 2.4 GHz/5 GHz frequency band and 801.11ad (WiGig) in a 60 GHz band (millimeter wave (mmWave)) able to transmit large-capacity data has been actively undertaken.
Generally, in the case of the foregoing 801.11b/a/g/n network standard, an antenna that transmits and receives a signal is generally installed on the outside of the module.
However, in the case of the 801.11ad network standard, as a distance between an antenna and signal processing module is increased, radiation loss is increased. Therefore, there is a need for a design to allow for a reduction in loss by significantly decreasing the distance.
Further, it is essential to use a process with a low error rate during a manufacturing process.
Meanwhile, in the related art, a method of manufacturing an antenna using a separate substrate and attaching a signal processing module thereto is generally used, as in the invention disclosed in the following prior art.
In the method known as antenna in package (AIP), several circuits, various peripheral parts, and various connectors are attached to module substrates, such as LTCC, HTCC, Teflon, and the like, by using an SMT process.
For example, when an error of ±10% occurs in an actual manufacturing process at the time of using an LTCC manufacturing process, a resonance point may be shifted by about ±1 to 2 GHz, based on a signal within a millimeter wave band, a feeding structure may be complicated, and a degradation in performance may occur due to a mismatch between an antenna patch and a feeding line, such that it may be difficult to analyze causes of degradation in performance.
In addition, when the antenna and the signal processing module are connected to each other by a bonding wire, as described above, as the distance between the antenna and the signal processing module is increased, radiation loss is increased, such that radiation characteristics may be deteriorated.